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Just Received my test kits - here are my numbers, help!

I have an IG 18x34 (approx 14000 gals) gunite with a Gold Line Agua Rite w/a 6' hot tub. Other than that I'm not sure what type of equipment I have.

We currently have a pool company maintain the pool but since we converted to the salt system about two years ago we have been wanting to try to maintain the pool ourselves.

The test kit scares me to death. There is a kit that I know one side is pH (pink) and the other side is Cl (yellow), I know the Cl is the test for chlorine but what the heck is the Br?

I think I somewhat understand how to use the kit other than that mentioned above so I tested the water on Sunday and here are my numbers:

FC 7
CC did not check
TC 22
pH 8.2
T/A 80
CH 380
CYA 40

The pool guy came on Monday so I tested the water again about 8 hours after he serviced the pool. These were my numbers then:

FC 22
CC 0
TC 22
pH 7.2
T/A 60
CH 550
CYA 40

I'm not sure how accurate these numbers are since I've only used the kit twice so far. But I did each test exactly the same execpt for the CC, I tossed the water from the FC test before I realized I needed it for the CC test the first time.

From what I've read so far on this board I know that my CYA is low which is why I'm paying for so much acid. Not sure what happened to my CH unless this would go up when they added water (well water) to the pool on Monday.

Br is bromine. You are not using bromine in your pool so you don't need to think about bromine levels at all.

You should bring CYA up to between 60 and 80.

It isn't such a good idea to allow PH to get up to 8.2. Ideally you should keep it at 7.8 or lower.

From the numbers and what I imagine the pool person did I suspect you are doing all of the tests reasonably well except the CH test. The CH test often requires a fair bit of mixing after each drop of titrant. Perhaps you are not swirling to mix for long enough after each drop. It does get tedious, but I would try for 10 seconds of mixing after each drop. You might also want to try the alternate directions for the CH test that allows each drop to count as 25, instead of 10. That will speed the test up noticeably and is close enough for high levels of CH.